Saudi Airlines (SAUDIA) has initiated the next phase of an ongoing agreement with Saudi Falcons Club to become a Strategic Partner and the Official Carrier for the International Saudi Falcon and Hunting Exhibition. SAUDIA’s presence at the 10-day expo, which kicked off in Riyadh on Thursday, Aug. 25th, comes as part of the airline’s effort to be present at a variety of events and activities that enhance cultural development and promote Saudi Arabia’s rich falconry tradition. Guests attending the exhibition will have the opportunity to redeem a promotional up to 20% discount on a wide range of travel packages through SAUDIA Holidays. Guests can plan the perfect holiday getaway that includes a wide range of flight, accommodation, and service options, including vehicle rentals and tours. Moataz Alandijani, General Manager of Partnerships and Sponsorships at SAUDIA commented “We are very pleased with what was achieved last year with Saudi Falcons Club and we are proud to extend the strategic partnership for the next 3 years, and our participation comes as part of SAUDIA Group’s contribution to supporting all heritage, culture and sports event. The CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hazaimi, affirmed the club’s endeavor to expand the agreements with all strategic partners to serve those interested in falconry. He stated, “The Saudi Falcons club is proud to sign the partnership agreement with SAUDIA Group and contribute to supporting and serving the cultural and local heritage of Saudis.” The strategic partnership signed at the exhibition marks the three next years of the on-going agreement between SAUDIA group and the Saudi Falcons Club. The agreement encompasses additional sponsorships and official carrier status for various other events as well as …

As part of its tireless efforts to encourage and promote youth, Kuwait Airways concluded its summer training programs, in cooperation and partnership with LOYAC and INJAZ, where the company hosted 44 male and female trainees consisting of university graduates and students, in an exceptional initiative to provide opportunities to train in the field of aviation. The company organized a ceremony to honor the trainees for their efforts and for their outstanding performance during the training period. The honoring ceremony was attended by the Acting Chairman of Kuwait Airways, Consultant Faisal Al-Gharib, the Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi, CEO of the INJAZ program, Ms. Laila Al-Mutairi and representative of LOYAC, Ms. Sara Al-Qallaf. In this regard, the Acting Chairman of Kuwait Airways, Consultant Faisal Al-Gharib welcomed the attendees and trainees and said, “We at Kuwait Airways are pleased to host the talents of young men and women and are honored to sponsor and encourage them, as we place our hope and aspirations in them as the pillars for the future of Kuwait.” While addressing the attendees, Consultant Faisal Al-Gharib added, “Since its establishment in 1954, Kuwait Airways has always been a platform for creative and ambitious talents. Over the past decades, the Blue Bird has made clear and tangible achievements, accomplishments, and progress, attained through the successive generations with their efforts, determination, and dedication.” Al-Gharib continued, “The National Carrier of the State of Kuwait attaches great importance to training its national cadres to attain success that it accompanies since the previous years, and as an integrated National Company is proud of its employees in keeping pace with the developments in the world of aviation.” Al-Gharib added, “Kuwait Airways has always …

Emirates carried more than 10 million passengers on nearly 35,000 flights to 130 destinations this summer. Having anticipated the strong return of travel demand, Emirates worked closely with its airport partners to operate as scheduled, minimise travel disruptions, and take customers to their planned holidays and trips to see friends and family across the world over the summer. The airline also ramped up operations to serve customer demand during this busy period, reinstating daily services to London Stansted, and increasing flights to 33 cities on popular routes across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as to favourite holiday spots like the Seychelles, Maldives, Mexico and Miami. In June, Emirates added Tel Aviv to its global network and in July it added a third daily flight to London Gatwick to serve travellers impacted by capacity cuts at Heathrow. The iconic Emirates A380, the world’s largest commercial jet, was also deployed to serve high customer demand at over 30 cities around its network. On ground, the airline re-opened and was operating 32 signature Emirates Lounges, including 25 dedicated lounges at major airports across its network, to provide frequent flyers and premium travellers with a comfortable haven to rest and refresh during their journey. The airline had also reinstated its trademark complimentary Chauffeur Drive airport transfers for First and Business Class customers in nearly all cities it serves. Dubai International (DXB) is the world’s busiest international airport. With millions of Emirates customers arriving, departing, and transiting through DXB each month, the airline ensured smooth operations at its 24/7 hub with close co-ordination and additional resources deployed throughout the airport eco-system. Travellers benefited from the airline’s investments in services and digital initiatives …

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem is undergoing a major overhaul with the announcement of a New Tourism Law approved this week by a Council of Ministers Resolution. The law will accelerate the development of an internationally competitive tourism sector in the Kingdom which will drive business, innovation, and investment. The New Tourism Law will establish new regulatory environments in the Kingdom to attract tourism innovators and improve ease of doing business. This allows new or experimental tourism businesses to receive special licenses and support from the Ministry, allowing them to flourish. It will also streamline licensing processes and procedures by creating a one-stop-shop platform for all tourism stakeholders. Both initiatives were announced in February 2022 as part of the Ministry’s Digital Tourism Strategy. With the new legal framework, the Ministry of Tourism will have greater control of the quality of tourism services offered within the Kingdom, ensuring the highest standards possible for both tourists and businesses while also strengthening destination development. The law also extends the Ministry’s remit for swift collaboration with government entities to mitigate risks and manage crises. The Council of Ministers further approved a resolution that empowers the Ministry of Tourism to enable sector growth. The resolution gives the Ministry permission to facilitate tax and custom exceptions or reductions with related government entities, creating powerful incentives for businesses to invest into the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector. It also enables the Ministry to work collaboratively with other private sector entities to establish work plans and training programs, enabling job creation and training for Saudis and boosting human capital development in the Kingdom. This new framework for collaboration with the private sector and relevant government entities will …

Finnair and Qatar Airways have concluded an agreement to establish a long-term strategic cooperation between Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen and Doha. Finnair and Qatar Airways are exploring opening services also between another European destination and Doha. These services will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement with shared passenger and cargo capacity between both airlines. Customers from the three Nordic cities will benefit from seamless connections via Doha to Qatar Airways’ extensive network of around 100 destinations across Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration will also open new destinations and connection opportunities across Finnair’s Nordic network for Qatar Airways’ customers. The services are planned to start between November and December 2022. They will be operated with Finnair’s Airbus A330 aircraft featuring Finnair’s new long-haul cabins, including industry-leading Air Lounge business class seats, a brand-new premium economy travel class and refreshed economy class. The flights to Doha are to be sold and marketed by both Finnair and Qatar Airways as per the schedule below: 7 weekly flights to and from Helsinki 7 weekly flights to and from Stockholm 7 weekly flights to and from Copenhagen Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “As a fellow oneworld member, we enjoy a close relationship with Finnair and these new services to Hamad International Airport are an example of Qatar Airways working with partners for the benefit of our joint customers. This strategic partnership demonstrates our commitment to the Nordic markets and strengthens our position as the leading Middle East carrier in this important region. This partnership will be the foundation for the future expansion here.” HE Al Baker added: “Soon, Doha will be the oneworld hub …

Zamzam.com, the online platform facilitating Umrah booking services in the region, enters a strategic partnership with Merit Incentives to deliver on its brand promise ‘Umrah Simplified’. As part of this collaboration, Merit Incentives’ clients in the banking sector and its marketplace will equip their customers to redeem their loyalty points for Zamzam gift cards, providing all customers with the opportunity to gift their loved ones an Umrah experience. Registered users can redeem their loyalty points for a Zamzam gift card to plan their travel to Umrah and Hajj effortlessly and conveniently. In addition, customers can redeem their loyalty points on Zamzam.com to plan their pilgrimage to Mecca or visit Madina. Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Zamzam.com, Omar Seraj Akbar, said: “Delivering a seamless Umrah experience is paramount to our business. Our platform acts as a gateway to effective Umrah planning and is designed to help customers enjoy a seamless booking experience. Our alliance with Merit Incentives fulfils our strategic goal of expanding our network and providing a  religious tourism experience to a wider audience. Through this partnership, we aim to make Umrah travel accessible and more shareable than ever for everyone in the region and beyond.” At Merit Incentives, we are focused on providing the best customer and employee engagement technologies & strategies with new innovative ideas, said Julie Barbier-Leblan, CEO of Merit Incentives. Our main objective is to offer complete freedom of choice to our millions of programs’ end-users and personalise redemption options that match their personal, cultural or even religious preferences. Partnering with ZamZam.com to offer the Muslim community – in the MENA region and globally – an opportunity to redeem their points for Umrah packages was …

In line with Oman’s Vision 2040 strategy, which aims to develop a diversified and sustainable economy, Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, continues to provide Omani nationals the opportunity to gain insights into the aviation and logistics world through specialized internship programmes at Oman Air headquarters. In 2021, Oman Air provided internship opportunities to 250 students from various universities and colleges in Oman and abroad. Furthermore, more than 160 additional students are expected to finish their internship programme by the end of August 2022. Oman Air, Senior Vice President – People, Hilal Al Siyabi, stated: “Oman Air is pleased to lend its support to the youth of Oman and guide them through our internship programmes. We remain committed to Oman’s economic diversification and Omanisation objectives by training the next generation of Omanis in the aviation and logistic sectors. We want to encourage future aviation professionals to explore the full spectrum of positions available in the industry, whether for a flying or non-flying career.” Oman Air’s Talent department, in coordination with various units of the airline, accommodates undergraduate trainees by equipping them with the skills necessary to apply for and succeed in jobs within their chosen fields, such as Human Resources, Flight Operations, Airport Management, Marketing, Corporate Communications and Media, Logistics and Supply Chain, Engineering, Digital and Operations Management, among many others. “Interns are assigned designated coaches who are responsible for providing orientation and supervision and are accountable for mentoring and guiding the interns to maximize their potential.” Al Siyabi added. “We would like to thank the employees who contribute their expertise to the next generation. We acknowledge their efforts and appreciate their participation in achieving the …

As part of the group’s ongoing expansion strategy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) remains committed to upskilling Saudi nationals working in the hospitality industry. To further cement its intensive recruitment efforts in one of its key market feeders, the group has launched ‘A Brilliant Journey of Advance Development Programme’ (ABJAD), targeting employees within the Kingdom to develop their leadership profile and help them progress in their roles across its portfolio of 26 operational hotels. Alongside Radisson Hotel Group’s robust expansion plans, ABJAD aims to develop talents by producing skilled, well-trained and talented Saudi managers. The name “ABJAD” is derived from articulating the first letters of the Arabic alphabet in its original order, and is often used to symbolise the beginning of learning something new, which in this case alludes to leadership. Through ABJAD, talents from all departments currently on supervisory level will be provided with the tools, resources and guidance as they prepare for the next step in their hospitality career. ABJAD intends to flourish the talents with a focus on the following pillars: Own, Deliver, Collaborate, Lead. This initiative is also aligned with the Saudi 2030 Vision to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to the domestic product to more than 10% and to provide one million job opportunities. It further cements the group’s commitment to the region, in line with its new office in the Kingdom that is set to become operational at the end of the year. Basel Talal, Managing Director, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Levant at Radisson Hotel Group comments: “Saudi Arabia remains to be a key market for us at Radisson Hotel Group and we aim to strengthen …

Turespaña, is the Spanish public body responsible for promoting Spain as a tourism destination, also part of the Spanish Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. The Spanish Business Council is a private non-profit organization acting as a corporate platform to strengthen business and cultural ties between Spain and the United Arab Emirates. For the past 16 years, their team has been introducing Spanish companies to the UAE market, both in the public and private sectors. This September, both organizations will launch the second edition of a thrilling gastronomic initiative, as a tribute to Spanish cuisine, the “Spanish Thursdays”. It will be hosted on September 8th and the operation will carry out a Thursday every two weeks, starting on Thursday, September 8th and ending on Thursday, November 24th. The “Spanish Thursdays” will take guests on a culinary tour of the SBC’s 7 member restaurants. · Thursday September 8th: Salero · Thursday September 22nd: Casa de Tapas · Thursday October 6th: Lola Taberna · Thursday October 20th: Central · Thursday November 3rd: 99 sushi bar · Thursday November 10th: Stage · Thursday November 24th: Seville´s The aim is to let Dubai residents discover the real Spanish culture and to ignite patrons appetite for its rich and flavourful cuisine. For those who have never visited Spain, this will be the opportunity to explore Spanish food and understand its relevant place in terms of culture and history. Hoping the experience will entice guests to travel to the sunny peninsula someday! During the “Spanish Thursdays”, exciting raffles will give the chance to win Taste of Spain and La despensa food hampers and Centaurus wine bottles. For those who unfortunately will not be able to attend, …

It was disclosed recently by Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “With FIFA World Cup approaching, travelers have started planning their trips and booking their tickets. With that, they are also searching for nearby hotels in the UAE, where they can see the best of both countries. And Dubai hotel searches are on the rise in the period between November and December 2022. If we were to look at the hotel daily rates in November and December 2021, they were around $225 and 240$ simultaneously. Recently, the daily rate on average for November 2022 is $345 and for December 2022 $410. We may still see change in prices as we approach the event dates, but these are the current numbers based on the searches from September to December 2022. The hotel and flight searches to Dubai, around the period of the event recorded over 96,900 on our platform and we expect to see an increase in searches and bookings as we get closer to the event date.”